1st July 2003
Present: MJI, STH, JRL, PSB, DWE
Agenda
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1. Actions from previous minutes
2. Comments on recent WFAU minutes
3. Work package reports for Q2 review
4. Work package planning for Q3
5. Recent VDFS meeting issues
6. AOB
Minutes
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1. Actions from previous minutes
STH still needs to contact Sandy Leggett to obtain photometric
monitoring data <<<<
DWE has tested Ian Bond's software on data with different seeing and offsets.
This needs to be compared with other methods being tested by JMI
and MJI. <<<<
JRL has placed simulated data (WFCAM headers on CIRSI data) on web (see
diary page)
STH has started investigating SDSS (and other) software for generating
synthetic data (ongoing) <<<<
DWE has selected some WFC data to simulate undersampled offset data for
interpolation and difference imaging tests. Concern was expressed that
the data may be too poor seeing quality and that better quality data
needing less rebinning would be better (ongoing) <<<<
MJI provided web address to DWE in order to obtain above data
PSB did get hold of the costs for desktop requirements etc. for JRL and STH,
but not enough time was available before the deadline for these special
offers ran out. The cost was about 2k per "package" with an additional
1k for an external DDS5 tape drive.
PSB the rack mounting of JRL's SUN equipment has been put on hold due to
MJI the lack of suitable metal sheet material in the workshop. Revised
completion for this is end of July. JRL requested that this be done
before the asbestos lining around heating system is removed from his
office (doesn't want asbestos dust getting into the machines, or him).
PSB/JRL/MJI need to liaise with the workshop to make sure that this
gets done in the correct order. <<<<
STH has finished setting up photometric standard fields
MJI has finished the astrometric distortion tests after receiving further
data from Mark Casali. The results are that shifts within a 10 arcsec
zone is fine, but anything larger than that will require resampling.
DWE has released his notes of Edinburgh meeting on the web
MJI has contacted Andy Lawrence and JPE summarizing our views on converting
to ESO-style FITS headers. JPE will contact Peter Quinn.
PSB organized a meeting in Cambridge to sort out outline draft documents
MJI some Power Point presentations from Edinburgh meeting have been placed
STH on the web. JRL still needs to place his there. <<<<
JRL
ALL good progress has been made on many of the Q2 work packages
2. Comments on recent WFAU minutes
A number of issues were raised:
The use of Python by WFAU - this has no impact on CASU and is thus not
really an issue.
LT0-2 drives - there was a general discussion about WFAU's purchase and the
fact that JAC have purchased LTO-1 units. We need to doublecheck that
LTO-2 drives can read LTO-1 tapes before purchasing any LTO-2 systems.
3. Work package reports for Q2 review
To save time it was decided for everyone to send "one line" summaries to
STH on their progress of tasks in the Q2 deliverables list, rather than
go through them in the meeting. <<<<
Several outstanding issues raised from the Q2 WP deliverables were then
additionally discussed.
Work packages 1.3-1.5 have been completed as far as possible from the CASU
end, but cannot be officially signed off until final joint agreement with
the ATC, WFAU, and the JAC. This should be noted in some way in the Q2
report. <<<<
All the public documentation needs to be listed in documentation.html and
this VDFS web subspace reorganized. This should be completed before the
MCM documents are sent out since many of the deliverables need to accessible
externally. Internal documents also need to have a similar page set up.
DWE to organize <<<<
It was agreed that calling the current state of the VISTA documents 2.1,
2.2, 2.3 "outline drafts" rather than "first drafts" was a reasonable
policy in the light of short lead time for these tasks and concommittant
recent change in the deliverable dates for the VDFS software PDR.
It was suggested that the comparison between manual and automatic processing
be deferred until real WFCAM data was available. STH will email SJW to see
if he agrees with this idea. If not SJW will be encouraged to provide some
suitable test data. <<<<
It was agreed that remaining issues should be done off-line since STH
wanted detailed answers from specific people.
4. Work package planning for Q3
The following tasks were noted during the meeting the remainder will
be organised offline:
Management WP spreadsheets, risk assessments (eg. powercuts, theft -
see AOB), and Gantt charts need updating for Q3. <<<<
The real first draft of the ESO (VISTA) documents (2.1,2.2,2.3) will
need to be finished in time for the September (internal) camera
software status review meeting at RAL.
Several VDSF ESO deliverables depend on WP 2.5 the DID (ie. FITS header
specification etc.). This WP needs to be brought forward and started in
Q3 with a goal to have a first draft of this document by the September
meeting since it also impacts on the camera FDR. The consensus is that
this is a VDFS task with contributions from the telescope and instrument
teams.
The Q3 plan needs to be finalised by Thursday. For this we all need to
propose deliverables for Q3 in the light of Q2 results and experience
and send to STH by lunchtime Wednesday. <<<<
5. Recent VDFS meeting issues
The report PSB wrote on the recent VDFS meeting should be placed in the
documents directory. <<<<
Several relevant issues were highlighted as a result of this meeting
that require further action:
the urgent need for a draft DID document (see above);
the predicted astrometric distortion is not available yet to CASU and
WJS was asked to chase up the necessary information to enable dither
offsets/resmpling issues to be addressed;
PSB asked about the difference between ESO and UK pipeline requirements
for VISTA. The information was required so that we can sensibly plan
both the VDFS ESO documentation and also highlight any VISTA-specific
pipeline and archive requirements not covered by the current WFCAM-driven
plan. MJI will raise the above issue at the upcoming management meeting; <<<<
PSB still needs to know which parts of the science case and user
requirements are specific to the NIR camera only. An updated VDFS
UR doc is needed in time for the camera software status review.
Clarification was sought about the term super-resolution (used in some
of the VISTA documentation). This was felt to be misleading since additional
resolution will not be the outcome, rather improved sampling. This would
be a less evocative term to use.
In the light of various comments made at the VDFS meeting MJI suggested
that there was a need to improve liaison between the VISTA IR camera
development team and CASU. To facilitate communication between the groups
he has forwarded the WFCAM "concerns/issues" document to them via WJS.
PSB noted that he has recently obtained the most recent draft IR Camera
Software Functional Specification document and would place it in the CASU
internal web pages <<<<
6. AOB
UPS: is there a need for a UPS for our system? The general feeling was that
there was not. UPS systems can be large and expensive. PSB pointed out that
the power from a UPS system can even be less reliable than that from the
mains. It was decided that power cuts (causing downtime and possible loss of
equipment) should be added to the risk assessment and possible theft of
machines should also be included.
Grant status: Paul Aslin has received a letter announcing the grant from
PPARC and he is in the process of checking the details.
Continuing actions
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STH contact Sandy Leggett to obtain photometric monitoring data
DWE compare the three software packages for differencing imaging
MJI
STH investigate SDSS (and other) software for generating synthetic data
DWE use WFC data to simulate undersampled offset data for interpolation
and difference imaging tests
PSB liaise with the workshop to make sure that the rack mounting of JRL's
JRL SUN equipment happens before his office upheaval.
MJI
JRL place Power Point presentation from Edinburgh meeting on the web.
New actions
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STH update management WP spreadsheets; update risk assessments to include
power cuts (downtime and equipment loss) and theft; and update
Gantt charts
ALL send one line summaries to STH on the progress made in the Q2 work
packages list
DWE list all the public documentation in documentation.html and carry out
a reorganization (by Thursday afternoon). Also do similar
reorganization of internal documents.
STH email SJW to see if he agrees with the idea of deferring the comparison
between manual and automatic processing until real data is available
(or get him to suggest some suitable data for intercomparison)
PSB place VISTA PDFs (softlinks) in docs subdirectory
JRL place CIRDR documentation (softlinks) in docs subdirectory
ALL email suggested Q3 deliverables (to STH) by lunchtime Wednesday.
PSB place VDFS meeting report in docs subdirectory
MJI ask about the difference between ESO and UK requirements for VISTA
at the forthcoming management meeting.
PSB put document from the VISTA IR camera development team in docs subdir